Educators in Argentina and France have become the first recipients of the Robert Singer Award for Outstanding Senior ORT Professionals.

The recognition of the extraordinary contributions made by ORT Strasbourg Director Claude Sabbah and ORT Argentina maths teacher Graciela Pasoviola was announced at the recent World ORT National Directors Forum in London. World ORT Director General Shmuel Sisso paid tribute to Ms Pasoviola’s remarkable success in preparing students for mathematics Olympiads and Mr Sabbah’s leadership in making ORT Strasbourg Lyceum one of the most successful schools in ORT’s global network. “The excellence of ORT as an educational force rests on the commitment and talent of professionals such as these,”? Mr Sisso said. “It is my pleasure to recognise their accomplishments and thank them on behalf of the thousands of students whose lives they have immeasurably enhanced.”? The award was founded by Mr Sisso’s predecessor, Robert Singer, who left World ORT last year to take up the role of Executive Vice President of the World Jewish Congress.

Mr Sabbah, who has spent his whole career at ORT since graduating from ORT Anières in 1973, is no stranger to awards “� he was promoted to Commandeur of the Ordre des Palmes Academiques, France’s highest distinction in the field of education, in 2011. But that did not lessen the value of this latest recognition.

“As a former ORT pupil I am truly honoured and proud to receive such a distinction emanating from my professional family,”? he said.

Ms Pasoviola started teaching Mathematics at ORT Argentina´s Technical School in 1977 and is currently the Coordinator of its Mathematics Department. She is renowned for her work in preparing students for intra-school, interschool, national, regional and international Mathematics Olympiads.

“Not everyone is fortunate enough to have a job they love and even fewer to be honoured for doing it; so, as someone who has both, I am very grateful,”? she said.